Aseptic filling valve



June 30, 1970 -w. R. scHoLLE 3,517,588

ASEPTIC FILLING VALVE Filed Oct. 8. 1968 tUnited States Patent OfficePatented June 30, 1970 U.S. Cl. 137-240 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A valve assembly comprising a housing for-med with adispensing opening at one end defining a valve seat, a valve stem, avalve head for cooperation with said seat, and a liquid inlet conduitopening to and extending laterally from said housing. The invention ischaracterized by an intermediate and terminal end spaced pair of discson said stem and forming a chamber between them and the housing and anopposed pair of conduits opening to the chamber between said discs forpassage of an aseptic gas therethrough. The assembly for this comprisesexpansion spring means in said housing tending to unseat said valve headand an aperture at the opposed end of said housing for admission ofvalve actuation gas under pressure and to act on the terminal one ofsaid discs.

This invention relates to the aseptic handling and filling of plasticcontainers with potable liquids such as fmilk, and particularly to afilling Valve by means of 'which such precautions can be observed.

These plastic containers are usually in the form of flexible liner bagsadapted to be disposed in rigid supporting cartons after being lled. Theliners are first stored in groups wrapped in plastic and exposed to asterilizing atmosphere such as ethylene oxide gas. These liner bags havea relatively rigid lling tment or nozzle which is engaged over thedischarge end of the filling valve after the `fitment has been immersedin a sanitizing solution such as one containing chlorine, and after thevalve and its parts have been subjected to steaming.

The filling valve of the present invention comprises a housing 'formedwith a dispensing opening at one end defining a Valve seat to which theliner bag is engaged for filling, a valve stem, a valve head forcooperation with said seat, and a liquid, i.e. milk, inlet conduitopening to and extending laterally from said housing. The valve ischaracterized by an intermediate and terminal end spaced pair of discson said stem and forming a chamber between them and the housing, and anopposed pair of conduits opening to the chamber between said discs forpassage of a gas therethrough, for example steam or sterile nitrogen, toprevent contamination from the top side of the valve. The valve furthercomprises expansion spring means in said housing tending to unseat saidvalve head and an aperture at the opposed end of said housing foradmission of valve actuation gas, for example, sterile nitrogen, underpressure and to act on the terminal one of said discs whereby to closethe valve when the liner bag is filled with a predetermined weight orvolume of milk.

The invention, its details of construction, arrangement of parts andother objects and advantages thereof will be explained in connectionlwith the following specification and accompanying drawing lwherein thefigure is a longitudinal section of the valve assembly.

Referring to the drawing, the valve assembly comprises the casing partsand 11 terminating respectively in the annular flanges 12 and 13 whichare secured together by means of the clamp 14 after disposing the gasket15 between them. The making of the housing in a plurality of parts isfor the purpose of maintaining sterility and access to the componentparts. The upper end of the valve housing is closed by the cap 16, thishaving annular ange 17 which mates with the annular flange 18 at the topof the casing component 1 1 whereat they are secured together by a clamp19 and with the gasket 20 disposed between them. The cap 16 is formedwith an axial inlet 21 for introduction of actuating gas under pressure.

Housed within the casing is the valve stem 22 having alignment means 39terminating in valve head 23 which is embraced by resilient O-ring 24.The valve head 23 seats on the valve seat 25leading to the axialdischarge aperture 26 ofthe casing portion 10.

Disposed within the casing portions 10 and 11 are the intermediate andterminal end spaced pair of discs 27 and 28 respectively, each beingembraced by a resilient O-ring such as 29 and 30 respectively. The discs27 and 29 define a chamber with the housing portions 10 and 11, thischamber being further provided with the inlet and outlet conduits 31 and3'2-respectively for passage of an aseptic gas therethrough such assteam or nitrogen.

Disposed between the intermediate disc 27 and the housing shoulder 33 isthe expansion spring 34 which normally tends to unseat the valve so asto permit liquid, i.e. milk, to be discharged from inlet conduit 35which opens laterally to the housing component 10.

When milk is delivered through conduit 35 through the valve assembly anddischarged through the outlet 26, it is employed to till a receptaclesuch as the flexible container 36 having the relatively rigid titment ornozzle 37 which is embraced about the lower portion of valve housing 10in abutment with the collar 38.

The extent of filling of the container 36 is controlled by conventionalmeans which control for example volume or weight and which act on meansfor example a scale and other components not shown lbut well understoodin the art, to control the passage of gas through the aperture 21 toexert pressure on the upper disc 28 against spring 34 to close the valveandu seat the valve 23 on its yseat 25 to prevent further discharge.

After presanitizing (washing) of the filling head or valve assembly ofthe present invention and suitable connecting lines, the unit isassembled preparatory to steaming the product lines and the valveassembly. In order to build up back pressure in such lines and to obtainthe highest heat possible a screw 39 is mounted in the cap 16 to actagainst the disc 28 and to thereby by manual manipulation force thevalve to almost closed position. Steam is then employed forapproximately thirty minutes and the assembly checked lwith a pyrometerto determine readiness -for use.

To insure against contamination from actuator air,

-sterile nitrogen is used as the compressor gas entering the aperture 21to actuate the described product valve.

It -willthus be seen that the valve of the present invention providesmeans for aseptic handling of milk and filling of containers therewithby the novel means of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A valve assembly comprising a substantially cylindrical housingformed with a dispensing opening at one end defining a valve seat, avalve stem, a valve head for cooperation with said seat, a liquid inletconduit opening to and extending laterally from said housing, anintermediate and terminal end spaced pair of discs on said stem andforming a chamber between them and the housing and an opposed pair ofconduits opening to the chamber between said discs for passage of a gastherethrough, spring means in said housing tending to unseat said Valvehead and an aperture at the opposed end of said housing for admission ofvalve actuation gas under pressure and to act on the terminal one ofsaid discs.

2. A valve assembly comprising a generally cylindrical housing formedwith an axial dispensing opening at one end dening a valve seat, a valvestem disposed in said housing for reciprocation therein, a valve headincluding an embracing resilient sealing ring for cooperation with saidseat, a liquid inlet conduit opening to and extending laterally fromsaid housing, an intermediate and tenminal end spaced pair of discs onsaid stem each carrying an embracing resilient Sealing ring and forminga chamber between them and the housing, expansion spring means in saidhousing tending to unseat said valve head and embracing said stem anddisposed between the intermediate one of said discs and shoulder meansin said housing adjacent its dispensing opening, an apertured closure atthe opposed end of said housing for admission of valve actuation asepticgas under pressure and to act on the terminal one of said discs and tothereby close said valve, and an opposed pair of conduits opening to thechamber between said discs for passage of a protective aseptic gasthere'- through.

3. The valve assembly of claim 2 including screw 'means extendingthrough said housing end closure and adapted 4 to abut againstthe"terminal end one ofA said discslimit reciprocation of the valvecomponents in said housing.

4. The valve assembly of claim 2 wherein said housing is composed of atleast two sections separable at said chamber between said discs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,315,058 3/1943 H011 137-240X2,082,277 6/1954 Marshall 137-240X 2,920,643 1/1960 Tel-ren 251-214X2,997,055 8/1961 Cadonau 137-240 3,043,340 7/1962 Rehbock 251-214X3,334,648 8/1967 Probst 137240X CLARENCE R. GoRDoN, Primary Examiner Us.C1. X.R.

